Kashmir apples: ₹700cr loss likely as highway remains shut
Kashmir's apple growers are staring at a huge ₹600-700 crore loss this September after floods and landslides shut down the crucial Jammu-Srinagar highway since August 26, 2025.
With over 1,000 trucks stuck and apples spoiling during peak harvest, the crisis has left many farmers anxious about their livelihoods.
Farmers' struggles and rising costs
Orchards in districts like Pulwama and Anantnag have been flooded, hitting about 10% of local farmers—especially those growing early varieties like Galas.
Packaging costs have shot up from ₹40 to ₹200 per carton, while alternate routes remain risky due to more landslides and bad weather.
Every delay means more fruit wasted and bigger losses for families relying on this season.
Railways step in, but growers say it's too little, too late
Indian Railways will launch a daily apple parcel train from Badgam to Delhi starting September 13, with two carriages set aside just for apples.
Still, many growers say it's not enough: fruit is already rotting on stranded trucks and prices keep dropping.
Since Kashmir supplies nearly three-fourths of India's apples—all mostly eaten here—the impact is being felt far beyond the valley this year.